


Don't Leave Me Now

by Titti



Category: NCIS: Los Angeles
Genre: Community: smallfandomfest, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-07-26
Updated: 2011-07-26
Packaged: 2017-12-15 20:40:06
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,693
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/853828
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Titti/pseuds/Titti
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>G Callen finally had proof that he wouldn't survive a day without his partner</p>
            </blockquote>





	Don't Leave Me Now

"Damn it, Eric, where's my audio?" G asked impatiently from the car as he stared at the huge warehouse that currently housed a dozen so-called businessmen and his partner. Too bad these businessmen had better artillery than the US Navy.

"I… I'm trying, Callen, but something is blocking the signal." Eric's frustration was clean even through the earwig.

"Well, unblock it and now. It's been five minutes and we have no idea what's going on in there," G replied.

"Mr. Callen," Hetty's voice was calm despite the situation. "The locator is still working, and Mr. Hanna is more than capable of taking care of himself. Mr. Beal is doing his best and pushing him isn't going to expedite the process."

"Maybe, a better tech could," G answered, not even caring that how petty it was. His partner was in there, all alone, with no back up and these weren't some gang members trying to make a name for themselves. These were people who'd kill first and ask questions later, because they had the money to bury the evidence. "You have another minute and then we're going in."

"We have nothing," Hetty answered. "If you go in now, the mission will be compromised."

"Sam is in there," G answered.

"Wait, something is happening," Kensi said. "Cars are leaving."

"Stay where you are, Ms. Blye. The locator still says that Sam is inside and the mission-"

G cut her off. "Sam is more important than the mission. Unless Eric can find a good reason why the earwig isn't working, we're going in. It's my team, my call. Eric, anything?"

Eric sighed. "It's working, that's all I can tell you. We're just not getting anything."

"Fine," G answered curtly. "Kensi, you and Deeks take the North entrance. I'll take the South one. We're work our way toward Sam, and see if we can salvage this mission, but Sam is our priority."

"On our way," Kensi answered from her car.

The three entered the warehouse from the two different points, hiding behind crates as they moved up the stairs, getting closer to the locator and Sam. G had his gun drawn out, ready to do anything necessary to protect his partner, but no one seemed to get in his way. He slid against the wall as he got to the room. It was silent, too silent. Something was wrong, terribly wrong. He'd known from the moment that Sam's earwig stopped working. "Kensi?" he almost whispered the word, but his earwig was just as dead as Sam's had been. That was good news, it had to be. G needed to believe that.

With no communication available, they would have to do it the old fashioned way: wing it. He waited a few moments, hoping that Kensi and Deeks had made their way upstairs already. "Federal agents," he screamed as he entered the room from one opening. He checked the room out, tensing for an instant, just before relaxing as Kensi and Deeks came into view.

"Where are they?" Deeks asked, staring at the empty room.

Kensi kneeled down. "It's Sam's earwig and his watch," she said worried. "Wherever he is, we won't be able to locate him now."

G took his phone out and dialed the Op center, putting the call on speaker. "Tell us how they left, Eric, because they aren't here."

"Checking now, but Callen, the blueprints of that warehouse are outdated at best." Eric hummed as he looked at his computer monitor. "There are eight ground exits, plus one from the garage."

"Only three cars left and Sam wasn't in them. Besides, there should still be people here," Deeks pointed out.

"We're going to take a look around here. Eric, look at all the footage you can find around this area. Call us if you know anything." G hung up and pocketed his phone. "I want to know what happened. Find something." 

Thus started the worst day for everyone at OSP.

* * *

G stalked into the op center with Deeks and Kensi behind him. "What about this helicopter?" he asked. "Why didn't I know before?"

"It must have been on the roof before we set up," Nell said.

"That wasn't my question," G snapped back.

Hetty took a step forward. "All the players came by car. We accounted for everyone. We had no reason to look for a hidden helicopter on the roof, Mr. Callen. You know very well that we can't check for everything or we'd never accomplish anything."

G turned to Kensi. "Get in touch with the FAA, get all records for every helicopter with a permit to fly over Los Angeles."

"Mr. Beal can do that," Hetty pointed out.

"Can he? Sam's been missing for seventy-nine minutes. Does anyone else know this?" He showed the timer of his watch. "Put that up, so everyone knows how long it's taking us to find him," he told Eric, before turning to Nell. "What have you found out about that helicopter? Nothing, that's what. So now, my team is going to do what we do best. We find Sam." G turned to Deeks. "Call LAPD, ask them about helicopter permits, anything that they can give us is appreciated. After that, call every agency, every snitch, we're calling in every favor to find Sam. Then, we're going after these men-"

"Perhaps a more targeted investigation might prove more useful." Hetty looked at the younger agents and then at G. "I'll speak with the other agencies and get the support we need, while you can focus on finding them. We still have a mission, Mr. Callen, and you can't go arrest legitimate businessmen who employ more than hundreds of people without any evidence."

G knew a rebuke when he heard one, but he had no time for this. His partner was missing, and this was not going to be a repeat of Dom. "I'm focused and there's only one mission: finding Sam, and anyone that stands in my way will be sorry."

"You're still a federal employee and we have rules," Hetty answered.

G snorted. "Wouldn't be the first time I resign to find a member of my team? The difference is that you left on your own. We put Sam in danger. We sent him in alone, once again; we couldn't hear him or track him. He's our responsibility and I will find him. I can do this while being a part of this team, or I can give you my badge, except the body count will be a lot higher, and you know it. We're finding Sam, Hetty and no one is going home until we do. Someone else can find those missing Navy documents." He turned and looked at his team. "Why are you still here?

"We were just going." Deeks touched Kensi's arm and waited for her to stop staring at G. "Come on, Kens." She seemed to think about it for a moment, but then nodded, and the two walked downstairs.

"We're all worried about Sam," Hetty said. "Taking it out on others isn't going to help, Mr. Callen."

"Then others need to start doing something. We have one agent gone missing, and we're not just going to sit around this time. I won't let him die," G said, barely containing his frustration.

"Mr. Hanna is not Dom. There's no body, which means he's alive, and he is a very resourceful man. Stop thinking about the past and concentrate on this case. Follow the missing documents. That's you best chance of finding the men who have Sam," Hetty said.

"I don't care about finding them."

She tilted her head. "Let's not play word games when our time is better used elsewhere. I have phone calls to make." She gave him a pointed look and then stepped out of the Op center.

 

The problem for G was that there was no other place for him to be. They were making a lot of phone calls, which led to nowhere, and in the meantime, he sat as his desk, staring at Sam's empty chair. He didn't know how to do this without his partner. He needed to bounce off ideas, have someone around who could keep him calm just by saying the things that he wouldn't allow himself to say. 

There was something else, something that he refused to acknowledge. They had lost Dom. At different times, they had thought that they'd lost Deeks and even Kensi. For a moment, he had even believed that Hetty could have been dead. Never had he felt the gripping panic that he had felt when he'd learned that Sam had disappeared. Sam was his partner, his friend, his family. Sam was the only person he trusted completely. Maybe he felt something else, something more, but G had rules about that sort of things, and he wouldn't even think about what that 'more' could be.

"We got something." Nell's voice interrupted his moment of introspection.

G looked up as he watched her and Eric arrive. At least the smiles were good news. "What do you have?"

"We got the record of the flight permits that Kensi got, but then we thought that they wouldn't schedule illegal activities, so-

"We modified the search," Eric continued. "We started looking at flights from yesterday-"

"I don't have time for your usual song and dance," G snapped. "Do you want a pat on the back? It's going to have to wait until we get Sam. Just tell me you have somewhere I can go."

Nell and Eric looked dejected as they shook their heads. "Not yet," she said. "Well, we have lots of places. It's a company helicopter."

"The company owns fifteen different helicopters and even more buildings. We send you to the wrong one, and Sam…. we need to narrow it down, but we'll do it. Soon," Eric added

"Then, come back when you have something," G said, as he stood up and walked off.

Kensi sighed, before looking at their techs. "Good jobs, guys."

Nell nodded. "Thanks, and we will get something soon."

"I know you will," Kensi answered. "He's just-"

Deeks got up. "I'll go see if he's started shooting the neighbors. It'd ruin our reputation," he said with a grin, before following G outside. He leaned against the wall, staring as G paced like a caged animal. "They are doing their best."

"It's not enough," G answered.

"Snapping at them isn't going to make a difference." Deeks sighed. "I lost my partner. I know how you feel… actually no, I don't know. Jess and I were together for a few months. You and Sam have been partners for years. I get that it's different, but people love Sam here. He glares and makes jokes that scare the crap out of normal people, but he cares about them. He kept telling me I wasn't an agent, but he was the first to push me so I'd act like one. Or the way he's with Kensi. He pinches her cheeks and tells her how great she is. If anyone tried that, even you, she'd kick us in the balls for trying something so girly, but it's okay with Sam because he does things like that. He helps others, even when he doesn't have to. He talks to them, and that makes people care. Everyone is doing the best they can. They would anyway, but they are going the extra mile because it is Sam, and barking at them isn't going to help anyone, especially not Sam."

G turned and stared at Deeks, grinding his teeth. He was on the edge, looking for any excuse to let go and hurt someone. Maybe that would make him feel better, but Deeks wasn't giving him that excuse. In fact, Deeks was forcing him to think logically and he wasn't sure that he could cope with that. "He's family," he said, although Sam was so much more than that; Sam was his one constant in his life for the past four years. He was pretty sure that Deeks understood that. 

"I know, and we'll find him," Deeks said. "You need to take a breather. I'd offer to spar, but I'm not suicidal," he added with a smile. "Go to the range and shoot some paper targets. We'll get you as soon as we know anything."

G took a deep breath and shook his head. "I'm fine. Let's get back to work." He took a few steps and then stopped. "And Deeks, thank you."

"Beers are on you when we bring him home," he said, winking at G.

"I knew you had an ulterior motive." It wasn't the right banter, it didn't have the same tone that it did when it was Sam, but at least G didn't want to shoot everyone around anymore. It'd have to do until they could find his partner.

* * *

It took six hours, thirty-nine minutes and some odd seconds from Sam's disappearance before they had an address. The whole office knew it, because of the timer on every monitor, but mostly because G had snapped to, yelled at, and scared just about everyone despite Deeks' best efforts. It took another forty-two minutes in rush hour traffic to get to the house. It took exactly three minutes and thirteen seconds for everyone to be killed and the house to be secured.

"Does anyone have eyes on Sam?" G asked. There was a silence over the earwig. "Kensi? Deeks?"

G could swear that he could hear their breathing over the earwig, or maybe it was his own breathing. Sam needed to be here, needed to be in one of these rooms, because if he wasn't-

"Eric, we need an ambulance." Deeks' voice cut through his thoughts. "Sam is alive, but he's hurt. Callen, in the basement."

If that hadn't been enough, the gasp from Kensi made G race through the house and down the basement. He pushed her aside and kneeled next Deeks. He'd seen Sam hurt in the past, but this went beyond their Ice and Aspirin Club. His lip was cut, his nose looked broken, and his eye was swollen shut. Those were just the obvious ones, and not the ones that worried G. "Sam? Can you hear me?"

Deeks shook his head. "He's unconscious. His heartbeat is very low." He grabbed G's wrists just as the other man was reaching for Sam. "You can't move him. We don't know what the internal damage is. You could do more harm than good."

G tugged his arms free and leaned down, one hand on Sam's head. "You made me promise to stay with you, remember that? I stayed, because you asked," he whispered. "You need to stay with me now. I can't do this without you. You need to promise me, Sam. Hang on, just a little longer. Help is on the way." He touched his earpiece. "Eric, where's the damn medics?"

"On their way, Callen. ETA less than a minute."

G reached for Sam's hand and squeezed it gently. "They're almost here, Sam. Just a little longer." All his attention was on Sam, and didn't even notice when Kensi left the room, returning with the EMTs. It was only when Deeks squeezed his shoulder that G finally moved giving the medics room.

"I called LAPD," Deeks said. "They are on their way. We'll deal with this and we'll see you at the hospital. Don't worry about anything."

Looking away from Sam for the first time, G tried to focus and finally nodded. "Thanks." It sounded like the proper answer, although he wasn't sure to what. Right now, they needed to get Sam to a hospital and make sure that he'd be all right.

* * *

If waiting for Eric to find him an address had been bad, waiting for the doctors to talk to him was absolutely horrible. He couldn't even snap at them, although the urge was there. First, he had to deal with the people in the ER, which weren't moving fast enough for G's taste, at least until he showed his badge and made sure that people really got moving. Even then, there were tests, and results to be shown to doctors and more waiting.

G had been in that ER for what felt an eternity, before he finally got to talk to a doctor.

"Agent Callen, I'm Doctor Lee. I've supervised Agent Hanna's care. Your partner is on his way to surgery. Admission will want to talk to you, but we need to get in touch with his next of kin," the doctor said.

"I'm his next of kin," G answered. He hadn't bothered with the paperwork. He had his badge and words to get what he wanted, but Hetty could always fax everything they needed. "What's going on? Why the surgery?"

"He has internal bleeding, a rip in his stomach. Normally, we would try drugs, but the trauma is extensive. He has a bruised liver, two fractured ribs, and burn marks. We aren't sure what caused them, but they were small, designed to inflict pain without doing irreparable damage. There is additional evidence of torture: electric shock, needle marks-"

"They were interrogating him." It was obvious, but G couldn't listen to much more.

"It's very plausible," the doctor said.

"They didn't succeed." Sam would have been dead if he had told them what they had wanted. 

"You'll have to ask them," the doctor pointed out.

"Can't. They're dead," he said a little too casually. "I'll have to wait until Sam wakes up." 

"The surgery will take some time, and then he'll be unconscious for a few hours. You might want to get something to eat before-"

"Where's the surgery?" G asked.

"Forth floor. I'll have someone bring you upstairs. They'll give you all the forms you need as well. Bye, Agent Callen."

"Thank you, Doctor and goodbye." G waited for the nurse before going upstairs. The myriad of forms only helped pass the first fifteen minutes, thankfully Deeks and Kensi arrived to distract him. It took another two hours and twenty minutes before G was finally in a room with Sam.

Less than twelve hours had passed from Sam's disappearance. 

G Callen finally had proof that he wouldn't survive a day without his partner.

* * *

The beeps from the machines were the constant soundtrack during the night. Nurses made their rounds with eerily silent steps to avoid waking up their patients when possible. G wasn't a patient and he wasn't asleep. His catnaps were shorter than normal, eyes snapping open at the most inoffensive sound, hand on his gun, just in case. Even the two uniform guards outside weren't enough to make him relax.

G watched as the nurse came into the room and checked Sam's vitals again. "When is he going to wake up?"

"Hard to say with all the injuries. Sleep helps him recover. Between the drugs and the body's natural reaction to the trauma, he might not wake up until the morning," the woman said in a kind tone. "You should get some sleep, too. He'll be fine."

G looked at the empty bed on the other side of the room, and then back at Sam. "Maybe later."

The nurse nodded and left him alone again. G smiled at the unmoving form. "They already hate me here. You need to wake up so we can go home, and then I don't have to deal with them." He leaned forward in his chair and covered Sam's hand with his. "I don't know how you did it, Sam. When I was shot, you were there every time I opened my eyes, smiling, cracking a joke no matter how I felt. It hasn't even been a day and I can't- You're not the one who's supposed to be in a hospital bed. You're stronger than this, and I was supposed to be there and watch your back. It's my job. I'm the lead agent, your partner, and this happened during a mission. It's my fault, and now, I can't even sit here without feeling claustrophobic. I know I shouldn't be asking, but you need to get better soon, so we can go home."

There was a slight movement of Sam's hand and G stood up, moving closer to Sam's face. "Hey, partner, are you with me?"

"If-" Sam licked his lips, breathing hard. "you're whining like a baby, then yeah I heard."

G stared for a moment and then laughed, like he hadn't done in months. "Whatever it takes to wake you up," he said, still chuckling. "Welcome back, Sam."

Sam nodded, before he slipped into unconsciousness just as easily as he had woken up. It didn't matter, though. Sam was all right and G could finally breathe easier.

* * *

Sam had slept through the morning rounds, waking up for a few moments here and there, but never long enough to answer questions. Hetty was asking for news, and G understood her reasons, but he wasn't pressing this time. Instead, he stayed in the room as nurses and doctors looked Sam over. He only left the room long enough to use the restroom and get coffee, and even that was done while Deeks and Kensi were visiting. The rest of the time, he was sitting by Sam's bed, holding his hand like some teenage boy with a crush. Not that he had a crush. Or feelings. Or anything of that nature. No, if that was what it took to remind Sam that he needed to wake up, then G would hold his hand. It was that simple.

"Are you holding my hand?" came the grouchy question.

G allowed himself to smile since Sam hadn't opened his eyes yet. "Not my fault that my partner needs me to hold his hand to sleep well."

Sam snorted. "I can't feel anything. They must me have on so many drugs that I'd sleep through Hell week."

"Nah, I'm pretty sure they toss you in a pool and let you die there if you don't come up," G answered.

"You know so much about SEAL training," Sam answered.

"Only the real interesting stuff. I have this friend…" he trailed off, smirking. "So how are you feeling?"

"Told you, I can't feel anything. I'll let you know when the morphine wears off," Sam answered.

"Sam, I'm… I'm sorry."

Sam opened his eyes and stared at his partner. "Don't do it, G. It's our job. We do what we have to, and we have each other's back."

"But I didn't." If he had, then Sam wouldn't be in a hospital bed.

"You couldn't have stopped it, but you found me. That's all that matters."

"What happened, Sam?" G asked, knowing that he couldn't delay this much longer. They still had a case to solve, and the sooner he got the information, the quicker Hetty would be off his case. "Was your cover blown?"

Sam tried to sit up and gasped even as G tried to stop him. "Ribs?"

G nodded. "Two. You'll be out for a while."

"Oh joy," Sam said sarcastically. "I'm going to die of boredom." He shook his head. "No, cover was fine… well, they didn't know I was NCIS. The missing documents are a decoy, G. The Navy has been keeping secrets from us. They weren't there to buy some documents about decryptions, or not just the documents. The Navy is missing a new software that could potentially hack into any computer system. That's why we had so many businessmen there. This wasn't just about state secrets, but having the ability of going into any database and learning everything. They can manipulate the market at will."

"We didn't give you the software."

Sam raised an eyebrow. "Really? I was not aware of that," he said sarcastically. "When the bidding was over, and I use the term loosely, they weren't too happy that the product was missing."

"They were trying to find out where the software was." G couldn't help consider all the options open to them now. Of course, heads would roll before his team went out again, but all in all, he preferred to concentrate on the practicalities of a case than to think about what Sam had gone through because the Navy didn't want to share how badly they had fucked up.

Sam nodded. "It was easy not to talk because I didn't have the information they wanted. They never asked about NCIS. It's an inside job, G. Whoever stole the software must have found out that NCIS was called in and he must have gotten scared. Whoever he is, he's not going to sell now. You might have to do this some other way."

G nodded. "We will. Usually, I'd send my partner to pose as a sailor, but we'll have to find someone else."

"You're the only one that can pull this off," Sam said, knowing that neither Deeks or Kensi would be able to play the part convincingly, not when this had the potential of being a long term assignment.

G shook his head. "Someone else will have to do it. I have a partner to take care of. I know how strong you are, but you'll need help, and it's my turn."

They stared at each other, and then there was a nod from Sam. "Are you going to let go of my hand at any time?" he asked with a grin.

"Maybe." G squeezed his hand again. "You were right. The worst fear is losing my partner. Don't ever do that again."

"We can call it even and end it here," Sam answered.

"Good, and now, I'm letting go, because nurse is going to be here at any moment. She's a hot one," G said.

Sam chuckled with some difficulty. "Glad that my stay at the hospital is useful for something. Now, leave me to the hot nurse and you go get something to eat. I'll be right here when you come back."

"Fine." G finally let go, but he didn't go further than the door. He could make his calls from the room, because he had no intention of going anywhere until Sam was capable of looking after himself.

* * *

The final prognosis was five weeks in the hospital. The first week went by pretty fast. The empty bed turned into a portable office. Laptop, files, wifi card, phone, anything G needed to run an op was right there at his disposal. There were phone calls and video conferences. The nurses complained, they wanted to throw him out, but Sam just smiled patiently and ignored the discussions with Hetty over the webcam. The morphine made it impossible to get upset at anything they said. However, medical induced peace could only last so long.

"You can go back to the office," Sam said sometime near the end of the second week.

"Nah, I can work from here. The line is secure. Eric has made sure that the internet is safe. I'm all set," G said as he looked through his emails.

"You still have a team that needs you there and an undercover operation to track down that software," Sam insisted with less than his usual patience. He might be feeling well enough that they had diminished the dosage on his pain meds, but that only meant that he hurt all over and G wasn't helping, keeping him awake day and night, always doing something.

"There's nothing I can do there that I can't do here, and besides, someone needs to keep an eye on you," G answered with a smirk.

"I'm fine. They didn't know I was NCIS and you shot everyone," Sam said, clearly losing his patience.

"Not the head of the company, and there was more than one CEO there. They just drove away and we have nothing on them now. We should have jumped in the moment your earwig went dead." The mission, Hetty had insisted, but he should have gone with his gut.

"The others didn't know I was NCIS either, and besides, not every businessman is ready to kill, especially a federal officer. I'll be fine, G. Just go home, do what you have to do and come back during visiting hours. I'll manage for a few hours," Sam said, sighing.

G shut the laptop off and turned around, staring at Sam. "If I didn't know better, I'd think that you're trying to get rid of me."

"Would I do that?" Sam asked with a smirk.

They stared at each other for a moment, and then G stood up, and he began unplugging everything. He didn't even have to look at Sam to feel the sense of relief coming from the man. "Sorry," G said calmly. "I can't blame you for nothing wanting me here. It's my fault this happened and-" He turned abruptly as he felt something connect with his head. "Did you just throw your plastic cup at me?" he asked with a frown.

"I can't get up and punch you, so this is the best I can do," Sam answered. "Besides, you shouldn't complain. It's plastic; it doesn't hurt and I can't even throw well at the moment."

"Well enough to hit me," G answered.

"Not hard enough to make you see reason." Sam sighed. "Leave that stuff alone and sit down for a moment." He wasn't even surprised when G decided to sit on the bed so they were facing each other. After G's shooting, Sam had found any excuse to be close to his partner. They never talked about it, though. "I'm not blaming you for any of it."

"I don't even know what happened," G pointed out.

"You know what's important, what's in the medical charts. Anything else isn't important," Sam answered.

"You were tortured," G snapped back.

"Not the first time," Sam replied.

"First time on my watch," G said so softly that it was almost a murmur.

"It's still not your fault." Sam reached out, the IV tube dancing as he covered G's hand. "I don't blame you, but if you don't let me sleep, I'm going to kill you. I'd say that you can stay if you're quiet, but you're incapable of staying still, so _please_ , go do some work and then come back after I've slept a few hours."

"I'm not leaving you while you're asleep." G sounded outraged at the mere idea.

Sam smiled a little, but he wasn't ready to let it go. "Fine, then do you think you can stop working and let me sleep? Read a book… without commentary. Watch videos on YouTube, with earplugs. Just let me sleep."

"I'm sorry."

"Stop apologizing, G. I just need some sleep. We'll be fine when we can finally go home," he said, smiling at the very idea of being on his bed and in his room.

"I'm still coming with you," G said.

"I know. Just for the beginning," Sam added.

"Until you can take care of yourself," G answered.

"Or until I'm well enough to shoot you," he answered with a grin.

"I don't think it'll take that long. You're already hitting me and you can't even sit without the help of a moving bed," G said with a straight face.

Sam started to laugh, but had to stop as everything began to hurt again. "I hate you. Now, my bed is going down so I can sleep and you can learn the art of being silent. Consider it training for an op." 

It was probably the last suggestion that allowed Sam to get a full three hours of sleep uninterrupted. It wasn't even G that woke him up, but the nurse. After that, the room got a lot quieter and Sam was able to rest with G there.

The nurses still wanted to throw G out.

* * *

G parked the car in front of Sam's house. He picked up Sam's bag from the back and went around to help his partner get out. He frowned when Sam stopped. "Is everything all right?"

"The yard?"

G was already reaching for his gun, watching for anything that could have made Sam hesitate. "What's wrong with yard?"

"It's green."

G shook his head. "That's it? You make me worry because it's green? Deeks came over to water it, said neither Kensi nor I should be allowed near plants." He closed the door of the Mercedes and then put his arm around Sam. Maybe it wasn't needed, but Sam still looked fragile, and that was not something that G would ever get used to. "I tried getting in touch with your girlfriend."

Sam snorted. "You should have told me. I would have saved you the trouble. We broke up when we came back from Romania. She didn't take it kindly that I skipped on our cruise to go with you. She felt that I'm more in love with you than her. Her words, not mine. She also didn't appreciate that I was willing to give up my job without talking to her first."

"Sorry," G said, but inside he felt anything but. Oh, he knew that whatever he might feel (which was nothing, because he refused to accept any other alternative) would lead to nothing, but the fact that Sam was single because he was 'in love' with G made G feel strangely happy.

"Don't be. If she doesn't understand what my partner means to me, she's not the right person," he said with a shrug. "Now, are we actually getting inside?"

G chuckled. "Yes, we are. Nice and easy," he said as they started walking.

"Oh, I know. If I get hurt again and have to go back, those nurses are going to kill you. This is just another way to save your skinny ass," Sam said, grinning.

"You can put some weight on me. It's why I'm here."

"I thought you were here because you're still fighting with Hetty," Sam answered.

"You heard about that, did you?" Things had been less than perfect since Sam's disappearance, or maybe even before that. Too many lies between them. G understood the need for secrets, since most of his life was a secret, but he didn't appreciate when she started to hide information about his personal life, or when those secrets led his team to get hurt.

"It's not a smart move, G. I know she does things differently, but you need her, especially until I get back." Sam squeezed G's shoulder. "It wasn't her fault either. It was a job."

G stayed quiet as he opened the door. He helped Sam to the couch, before putting the bag away and then came back. He sat down next to Sam, leaning forward, eyes on his joined hands. "I can't let it go, Sam. I thought- I thought that I'd never see you again, that I'd fail like I did with Dom, and when we found you, you were barely breathing, and then the doctor was talking about torture and you won't even say what happened." He finally turned his head to stare at his partner. "If we had prepared the op better, it wouldn't have happen. It was my fault and it was Hetty's."

"Dom was-" They would always disagree about whose fault it was. "You couldn't have planned for the Navy lying to us. We did what we could, and I'm here. You found me, and what happened isn't as bad as you think. Maybe one day, we'll talk about it, but not yet," Sam said. "Still, you have to know that I don't blame you at all; I'm grateful for all that you've done, and not just in finding me. You haven't left my side for longer than an hour or two since you found me, and I know how jittery you get when you have to stay in one place."

G shook his head. "It wasn't hard at all. There wasn't any other place I wanted to be, Sam." He patted Sam's knee, smiling. "Enough of this, what do you need? Do you want to go to bed? Something to drink? Kensi and Deeks should be here soon and they're bringing food. You'll have to wait for real food, but if you're hungry, I'm sure I can find something."

"I know I have beer," Sam said with a smirk.

"Which you can't drink with all the meds you're still taking," G answered. "Still, you're the SEAL. I'm sure you have canned food, water bottles, anything you might need in case of a earthquake."

"Or a terrorist attack," Sam said, chuckling. "I'm fine, G. I can wait for those two to bring food."

"They should be here soon anyway," G said, before leaning back.

"You're staring again," Sam said with a grin.

"I'm not." The denial was instantaneous, despite the fact that he was staring, but G had never been so afraid in his life. Not even his own shooting had scared him so much. He had lived with the idea that he could die at any time; he was not ready to deal with a world without Sam.

"What would you call it then?" Sam pressed, amused.

"Nothing, because I'm not doing anything." He looked in the direction of the front door when he heard noises. "Deeks and Kensi are here."

"Saved by the bell," Sam said.

"Nah, they have the extra key," G answered with a smug smile.

"You're impossible," Sam commented.

"Of course he is," Kensi put in as she walked into the room, with Deeks behind her.

"Hey, you don't even know what I did," G said, pretending to be upset.

"I don't have to. I work with you," she answered with a smile. Kensi put down one of the bags with the food, before reaching for the one Deeks was carrying. "We got a variety, so you can pick whatever you like. After five weeks of hospital food, you get dibs."

"Hey, the sweet and sour chicken is mine," Deeks said.

"Don't listen to him," Kensi said.

"I own plates. I know it's a strange idea for all of you, but we can put the food from the containers on the plates and share," Sam said. 

"Sure, show off, because I don't have plates," G said as he got up. "I'll get them, you start opening those containers up."

Dinner was a strange experience for G. It wasn't the first time that they ate together, but they never sat around like this, with plates, no cases pressing on them, nothing but four friends spending an evening together. Of course, G was paying close attention to Sam, making sure that he wouldn't overdo it, looking for any possible sign of discomfort, filling his glass before he could even move, passing him whatever he needed. Maybe that part wasn't like four normal friends, but the rest was.

Afterwards, he got up, ready to clean up. Sam liked his house clean and in order. Everything had a place and G knew that if he didn't take those plates and containers away, Sam would try it to do it himself.

"I'll give you a hand." Deeks grabbed whatever G couldn't carry and they walked to the kitchen. Kensi and Sam were joking around, and Sam's laughter made G smiled. "Have you told him?"

G looked at Deeks with a frown. "Told him what?"

Deeks smiled as he shook his head. "Oh man, either you're blind or you think I'm stupid."

"Think?" G answered, with a raised eyebrow, before continuing to put things in the fridge. "Really, Deeks, I don't know what you're talking about."

"You and Sam, that's what I'm talking about. You haven't left him since we found him. Hetty is less than pleased with the way you've been running things, but she hasn't seen you, because when she does-" He got closer and lowered his voice. "When I compared you and Sam to me and Jess, I didn't know how right I was. I've seen you in there. You can't take your eyes off of him, and it has nothing to do with being partners."

"Back off," G hissed, before forcing himself to relax. "I'm sure you think you're trying to help, but you're way off. Sam is my partner."

"And Jess was mine. Things aren't always so clear-cut when you do our job. Look, I'm not going to talk to you about rules; I'm the last person who'd care, but if I saw it, so will Hetty. Eventually Sam will see it too, so get it under control or tell him. The UST won't help you."

"Did you seriously say UST? Who talks like that?" G asked, because it was easier to focus on that than acknowledging that Deeks might be right. 

"Fine, the urge to fuck him senseless," Deeks answered, without being intimidated. It'd been a long time since he'd acted like he needed to play catch up. 

"I don't have any urges," G answered. "You've got one track mind, Deeks. Not everyone sees a partner in need and thinks about sex."

Deeks went near the wall and pretended to bang his head against it, before turning around. "Seriously, man? Do you know what your problem is?"

"Enlighten me," G answered.

"Sam lets you get away with this, pretending that you don't know what he's talking about, arguing about things back and forth without talking about-"

"About what? Feelings?" G asked. "We aren't girls."

"No, you're two grown men who live very dangerous lives, have little or no contact with the world out there unless it's work related, and won't and can't trust anyone else, because your entire existence is a cover," Deeks answered, seriously. "There's nothing wrong in having someone, no matter what the rules says. Just think about it."

* * *

Sam didn't know what G and Deeks had discussed, but he knew that there was something going on. It wasn't hard to notice considering that Deeks and Kensi visited practically every night, and G- G had practically moved into his house. 

They hadn't really discussed it, but at the start, it had been necessary. He needed help with basic things, and it made sense for G to stay over. When he started moving around, G started to go back to the office and work regular hours, or as regular as their days ever were, but at the end of the day, he would return back to Sam's with food in his hands. They'd spend the night watching TV, talking about what was going on at work. It seemed natural, except that a month later, G was still sitting on Sam's couch, showing no sign of going anywhere. 

"Are you every going to go home?" Sam asked during a commercial. "If I had done this with you after you got shot, you'd have- Oh, I wouldn't have, because you didn't stay anywhere this long." He looked at G for a moment. "What's going on? I get that you were worried at the beginning, but I'm fine now."

"You haven't been cleared yet. The doctor said that it'll be another two months minimum," G pointed out.

"Right, but not being able to run after criminals doesn't mean that I can't walk around my house," Sam answered. "We found that leak- Renko did, and I still can't believe that he managed to convince anyone that he was a sailor."

G chuckled. "He's good. Not as good as me, but he's good."

"All those rules must have driven him crazy." Sam couldn't imagine anyone who disliked the rules more than Renko. Maybe G.

"He does what he has to," G answered.

"That wasn't really the point, G." Sam stared at his partner. "I'm fine, I'm safe and you don't have to stay here."

"You're right." G stood up. "I think it's time to go."

Sam reached for his partner. "I didn't say you have to go right now; I said that you don't need to stay." He nodded to the couch. "My furniture was shaped like you long before I got hurt, but if you need to go somewhere, you don't have to stay on my account."

Their eyes met like they usually did a million times throughout the day, and finally G sat back down. "Nowhere to go and I can't watch the game at home."

Sam laughed. "You could if you owned a TV." He let it go and watched the game until the next time-out was called. "What's going on with you and Deeks?" He could hear the sharp intake of breath, but he didn't turn to look at G.

"Nothing," came the calm reply, even though Sam knew better.

"Of course. You're worse than two dogs sniffing each other when he's around. What did he do now?" Sam asked. "I'm not going after him until I'm better if that helps."

G smirked. "It does." He took a swig from his beer. "It's nothing-" He stopped for a moment, and then sighed. "I might have put glue on a few objects around the office."

"You were bored," Sam said.

G laughed. "I might have been and I had no partner to distract me, and there were some pranks to alleviate the boredom. It's been weeks and no payback."

Sam snorted. "And it's making you jumpy. You really need me to save you from yourself."

"And to watch my back from revenge-seekers," G replied smoothly.

"You can't help yourself, can you?" Sam said, chuckling. "But you will have to find a way to deal with your boredom for the night. I'm going to lie down."

"Need any help?" G asked.

Sam shook his head. "No, I'm fine. Night, G."

"Night, Sam."

* * *

There was always someone at Sam's house after working hours, usually G, or all three members of his team, but on some rare occasions, it was just Kensi or just Deeks. Tonight, it was Deeks that seemed to be on babysitting duties, even though Sam was perfectly safe at home and didn't need them around anymore. "Shouldn't you be with them?" Sam asked.

"Nah, it's just paperwork they are doing. They don't need me to watch their backs," Deeks said with a smirk.

"I don't know. Hetty can be pretty scary," Sam answered with a tiny smile.

Deeks snorted. "I'm well aware of that, which is why I kept doing my reports even while you were in the hospital. I don't understand why they can't do them when they are at home. They do them on their laptops."

Sam laughed. "I don't think it was the hospital. G'll find any excuse not to do them."

"Not Kensi, though," Deeks pointed out. "She was worried. We all were. There's a lot of people in that office that care for you."

Sam stared for a moment and then sighed. "I'll try not to get tortured anymore."

"You do that." Deeks shook his head. "I don't think Callen will let you go alone for an op any time soon."

"He will when it'll be needed," Sam said with his usual calm. "It's what we do. There's something else that we do, and that's get even."

"Hey, we did kill all of them and we got the leak," Deeks answered. "We can't tie any of the CEOs to what happened. Businessmen don't like to be tied directly to torturing thugs. Go figure."

Sam snorted. "Yes, I'm shocked, but that wasn't what I was talking about. You and G… a little prank war?"

Deeks looked at Sam with a frown. "Is this some kind of test that I don't know about? Bait the new guy into doing something stupid?"

There was a moment of silence. Sam was good at reading people, and while Deeks was also good when undercover, he wasn't acting, which meant G had lied to him about this, but that was something that he'd have to discuss with his partner. There was something a lot more important to address. "You haven't been the new guy in a long time, Deeks. Cop, agent, it doesn't matter. You've been there when we needed you, that makes you part of the team. It makes you family."

"So this prank war?" Deeks asked with a slight hesitation.

"Don't worry about it," Sam said, clapping his back. "And from the sound of it, Hetty let them out. Time for dinner."

* * *

_The room was dark. Suddenly a spotlight was aimed at him and Sam was blinded. He couldn't see the enemy. Training told him to calm down, listen careful, determine their position, but they weren't holding him; those were chains and he could still feel the drugs in his system. There was nothing to do but survive._

_Punch after punch, hitting him where it would cause pain. Another punch. Sam passed out, but cold water woke up him._

_Scorching metal pressed against his skin. Sam could smell the stench of burned skin. His skin. The soles of his feet were filled with blisters, but it doesn't matter because he passed out again._

_Needles. Long, metal needles piercing his skin, hitting nerve endings. They were good, very good, hitting where it hurt but didn't harm._

_He would have talked by now, but he didn't know what they wanted, and the hitting started again. No punches, but a hard baseball bat that took his breath away._

Sam woke up with a gasp. His heart was speeding and he was sweating, all over a memory, something that couldn't hurt him anymore. He hated nightmares. He hated even more that he was living with a man who never slept, because he could sense G in the room. "Don't you ever sleep?"

He could hear the smirk in G's voice. "I nap." G came and sat at the edge of the bed. "You okay?"

It looked like G wasn't going anywhere. Sam propped his pillows and leaned against them, with his sheet tucked under his arms like a shield. "It's only a nightmare; you know how it is."

"All too well." G sighed. "You're going back to work soon."

"If you're implying that it's the reason why I'm having nightmares now, you're wrong. I've had them since they took me off the morphine. They are less now. Some of us actually sleep despite of them." Slowly, his body returned to normal; Sam reached over and turned on the lamp. "Since sleep isn't happening, we might as well see each other."

"I can leave," G offered.

"It's fine. I'm not the one who's going to work in the morning and you aren't the one who sleeps through the night. It works," he said with a smile.

There was another moment of silence, during which G stared at his partner. "Are you having a lot of them?"

Sam shook his head. "No, not really. I've had worse in the past. Missions don't always go smoothly."

"And you get buried alive," G said, remembering their conversation almost two years prior, during the Remy case.

"Not always, but yeah, sometimes you do and the nightmares stay with you for a lot longer, especially when your job requires to be in very tight spots on a regular basis," Sam admitted. "This is much better."

"Still, the first time it happened under my watch. You're my responsibility," G said.

"And here I thought it was my job to keep your crazy ass alive," Sam said, with a chuckle, but as it died down, he stared at G. "Why did you lie to me?"

"I haven't-"

"Stop, don't make it worse. You lied to me about Deeks. I brought it up with him, trying to see what he was planning, and he had no clue. He might be good, but he's not that good. He really had no idea what I was talking about." Sam's eyes never moved from G. "If something happened, if we're going to have a problem, then you should tell me. You can't protect me out there by keeping things from me, and a problem with a member of the team is something that affects our work. So what's going on?"

G shook his head. "It's nothing. It's stupid."

"You're lying again. If you thought it was stupid, you would have made fun of him instead of lying about it," Sam pointed out, before sighing. "I can always ask him."

G got up and started to pace. "It's stupid… he thinks that I have feeling for someone and I don't, and he's making an issue."

"It's not Kensi, is it?" Sam could imagine how that would create all sorts of problems between Deeks and G, and between Kensi and G. It couldn't possibly end well.

G looked at Sam with a dismayed look on his face. "Kensi? Are you crazy? She's like… like a little sister."

Sam knew that kind of admission had cost G, which meant it was true. "Well, it's not Hetty… I hope it's not Hetty. Tell me it's not Hetty, because I can't protect you from her."

G was ready to question Sam's sanity again when he saw the expression on Sam's face and they both started to laugh. "No, not Hetty, but it's just as crazy." He returned to the bed and sat down again, but he looked in front of him, like he wanted to hide from Sam. "When you went missing, I… I lost it, Sam. It didn't matter if we had no leads. I made everyone stay in the office until we did find a lead, and then- In that basement, I thought you were dead, but I wouldn't- I couldn't accept it, because I can't imagine doing this without you." He leaned down, locking his hands behind his neck. "I don't know how it happened, Sam. After Tracy, I know better than to fall for my partner, but it happened-" He finally looked up at Sam. "It's you."

Nothing but silence stood between them. Sam couldn't believe what he was hearing. Hetty was beginning to sound like a better option. "I see."

Taking a deep breath, G went on. "I know, but don't worry, I didn't expect anything to happen. I wouldn't have said anything. I don't want things to get weird between us."

"G, you're doing it again. You're the only man I know who can sit right here, who can talk to me while cutting himself off at the same time." Sam rubbed his eyes and then looked at G. "You've had weeks to deal with this. I need a little more than a few minutes. Maybe we can talk about it… later." Possibly never as far as Sam was concerned, because he wasn't sure that he'd ever be ready to discuss this. G was his partner and the lead agent, which meant that he was off-limits. No discussion was going to change that. "G, nothing changes with our partnership, unless you make it change. We're going to be fine."

Relaxing a little, G nodded. "We're better than fine. We're great out there." He got up and smiled, although Sam could tell that it wasn't one of G's rare and real smiles. "Good night, Sam."

* * *

Hetty watched on the screen of the op center. Another day, another mission. She watched as Callen faced East, dealing with one of the perps, and then out of nowhere, Sam put himself between Callen's back and another shooter. Sam dove as he shot, killing the perp before the trigger was pressed. Another mission, another shooting. Except there was something different this time. There was a collective holding of breaths as Sam went down, which was nothing compared to the look from Callen when he realized what had happened.

She went down to her office, waiting for the return of her agents. She didn't have to wait long, but the silence amongst the four was enough to tell her that words had been exchanged when the ear wigs had been shut off.

"Gentlemen, and lady," she said, nodding in Kensi's direction, "very well handled, and-." 

"Very well handled?" Callen just shook his head and walked past her, ignoring whatever else she was about to say.

"Mr. Callen-"

"Very well handled." This time she was interrupted by Sam. "I did my job, G. Unless you've turned into Superman, you aren't bullet proof and you can't see with the back of your head. It's my job to cover you."

"Two days," G snapped back. "Two days you've been back and you start throwing yourself in front of bullets. What if-"

"Mr. Callen." Hetty's voice cut through like steel, stopping the obvious conclusion to that question. "I was about to say that it's been a long two days, with plenty of overtime, which Uncle Sam can't afford. All of you, go home. The reports can wait until morning."

She waited until one by one, they took their things and headed for the door, before speaking up again. "Mr. Callen, a word." She smiled at Sam. "He'll meet you in the car." Sam nodded back and left them alone, before Callen could simple walk out again. "Your partner is very wise. You should learn from him."

"I'm not in the mood for lessons, Hetty. Two long days, your words, and now I'm going home," he said.

"To a well deserved rest," she agreed, knowing that it wasn't what he meant. "When you were shot, Sam was right there. He heard it happen, he saved your life by calling it in so quickly, he stayed with you until you were well enough to protect yourself, and when you were, he stepped back. There's a lot that one can learn from him."

"You used to be more subtle," Callen answered.

"You used to be more receptive to subtlety. Go, he's waiting for you." Hetty watched him leave. She turned with a sigh. She knew better than to expect Callen to do anything about this. It would be up to Sam to make things right again.

* * *

Sam drove them home in complete silence, which was something that never happened. They always talked. It was part of their partnership, but the tension was palpable in the car. He didn't think he could say anything pleasant at the moment and didn't want to start an argument in the car. Strangely, it never crossed his mind to drop G off at G's house, driving straight for his place, but G seemed to have other ideas. No sooner had they got home, that he collected the few things that had made their way into Sam's house and put them in his duffel. "Running away, G?"

G shook his head. "It's best if we both have some space."

"Is it? Is that really what you think? Because I think you're afraid, and when you are afraid or hurt, you run away or pull away, not much difference really," Sam said.

Dropping the bag, G glared at Sam. "You could have died."

"You would have died if I hadn't jumped in. Do you think you're the only one that cares here?" Sam asked.

"It's different," G said in a much softer tone.

"Why? Because you say you feel for me? Do you think I didn't care when I heard those shots and saw you on the ground, your white shirt turning red with your blood, holding you close, begging you to stay alive? Do you think I don't understand how it feels? Or do you think that when I saw that gun pointed at your back, I wasn't scared? Scared for you, scared of losing my partner?" With each word, Sam moved closer until he was standing right in front of his partner. "If you think that it's different, then you don't know me."

"It _is_ different, Sam, because we both want to protect each other, but you don't want to do this." G cupped Sam's skull and pulled him closer for a kiss full of emotions. 

Sam could feel so much from one kiss: fear, anger, want, but strongest of all was a sense that G was waiting to be pushed away, maybe punched. He should have done all of those things, but as the kiss continued, he fisted G's shirt and pulled him closer instead of away. God, could he possibly? The question was enough to sober him up and he gently moved back. "We work together."

G frowned. "Of all the things you could say, that's what you pick? I tell you about how I feel and you say 'I see', not once mentioning that maybe you wouldn't mind being with a man."

Sam shrugged. "You caught me by surprise. I never expected _my partner_ to tell me that he had feelings for me. I know you don't get the idea that there are rules in our jobs, but some of us do, and I was a little surprised when you blurted it out. That was my hesitation, not that you're a man. I'm attracted to both sexes."

"Still, you could have mentioned that you're bi," G said. "We've been partners for four years, and not once you've mentioned anything."

"Because I haven't been involved with any men in the past four years. I'm monogamous, G. I don't sleep around. I have relationships, and you've met all of my girlfriends. I never thought I should have told you about all the relationships I had in my life," Sam said, wondering why G was harping on that. "Besides, you volunteered about Kristin and Tracy, right?"

"That's-"

"Different," Sam finished. "Or that you're attracted to men?"

"I'm not," G answered, staring at Sam.

Sam pinched his nose, trying to make sense of this conversation, but not getting it anyway. He walked away and sat on the couch. "Let's start this again, because I'm confused. You are _not_ attracted to men, but you think you fell for me. That's called a friendship, G."

"No, I mean I've never been attracted to men before. I do know the difference between loving someone and being in love-" He stopped and looked lost for a moment, before he walked over and sat on the coffee table so that he could face Sam. "When you grow up like me, experimentation is… inevitable, but I've never really been attracted to a man before and I just realized that I've never been in love before unless it was part of a cover. Tracy, Kristin, they were covers. It was never me, not really. You are the exception to every rule, Sam. You're a man, an agent, have your own handcuffs, are a part of my team. I know all the reasons why this is a majestically stupid idea, which is why I didn't want to say anything."

"It doesn't matter what you say if you start acting like today. How long can you pull that crap before Hetty figures it out?" Sam slid forward and framed G's legs with his, before putting his hands on G's knees. "You need to let me do my job, just like I've let you do yours; that's how we help each other."

"I know." G sighed. "I know, okay? I knew it when I started on you, when Hetty spoke up, but I couldn't-" He chuckled. "I'm a master with words. I charm, I banter, I play misdirection games, but as soon as we start talking about this, I stutter like a teenager. You're not good for my verbal skills."

"I'm good at keeping you alive," Sam answered, with a grin, but he knew that G meant. He didn't feel on solid ground either when talking about feelings, and especially feelings for each other. "We can get things under control. I know we will. It wasn't easy when you got shot, for either of us. I saw the way you tensed up when we were going into a possible shoot-out, and I wanted to jump in to make sure you didn't have to use your gun even if I couldn't and I didn't, but with time, it got better, we got better at dealing with it and we'll get better with this, too."

"What exactly is _this_ , Sam? The job, the partnership, the friendship, or do you think we can have more?" G asked.

Sam should have expected it. He took risks, but G dove in even when he expected the worst. The man simply couldn't help himself. "You can never leave it alone, can't you?" No answer was needed, though, because he knew already. "If we get caught, one of us will be reassigned and that's if they don't fire us."

G shrugged. "I can always try a different set of letters. I've worked for enough agencies," he said with a smirk. "And besides, we'd have to get caught and we're too good for that. We already bicker like a married couple, I spend all my time at your place. Unless they bug your bedroom, I don't see how they can find out."

"How? It's Hetty; she knows everything," Sam answered, laughing.

"Maybe, but she also knows when not to ask, and she won't ask," G said with a certainty that Sam didn't share, but really he had made the decision the moment that he had returned the kiss. The rest was simply a conversation.

"This is crazy." Sam felt that the point still needed to be made

G answered with a smug smile. "We don't know how not to do crazy, but it could be worse: I could be asking you to marry me."

Sam snorted. "Only if it's for a cover."

"Don't tell Hetty. I bet she'd find a reason we'd have to do it, and I'm not having sex with you when Eric is listening in," G answered, laughing.

"Yeah? And when would you like to have sex with me?" Sam asked.

"When you don't want to punch me for acting like an idiot at work," G answered.

Sam didn't have to move much before their lips were touching again. He wanted to show G in a way that left no doubt what he wanted, but the way they were sitting made it awkward and difficult, and he pulled back with a sigh. "I don't want to punch you," he said.

"Maybe a little?" G joked.

"Maybe earlier."

"Oh good, I didn't want to be so wrong about reading my partner," G answered with a smirk.

"I told you; I don't do sex, but relationship," Sam said, and again their eyes met, before G nodded and stood up, and walked toward the bedroom, but stopped midway and turned toward Sam.

"Now that we've settled on the relationship-"

"Did we?" Sam asked, but he was smiling.

"Unless you feel the need to talk about it some more," G answered. "We can even paint our nails while we talk."

Sam chuckled. "I think I'll pass."

"Good, so now that we're in a relationship," G stated just a little clearer, "how _does_ it feel to have sex on your own bed?"

"Even better than sleeping in your own bed. Not that you'd know what that's like," Sam answered with a sardonic smile. "And it's not your bed."

"You say potatoes, I say bed," he said as he started to walk, with Sam finally following him.

Sam knew his partner all too well not to understand what they were saying. This wasn't just about a relationship or sex, but about trusting each other in a way that they didn't trust anyone else, as proven by the fact that G could sleep in this house when he couldn't sleep anywhere. They were safe with each other, but they didn't need to say any of that, because they knew it already, instead Sam continued with their banter. "Do you plan to say sex at any time?"

"I don't know. I'm half-way done with my buttons and you're still dressed," G answered innocently. "I wouldn't want to push you into anything."

"Man, you really are deluded. You couldn't push me with the help of a bulldozer." Sam grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled it over his head. "And this is why I don't wear button-downs."

"So we can have sex quicker? I didn't know that all this time you were sending subtle hints. I'm so touched," he said as he finished with the last button, but he didn't take the shirt off. The ease of the exchange was replaced by an intense gaze. "It's been a while, since the shooting. I've never let anyone see the scars."

Facing his partner, Sam put his hands on G's hips and pulled him toward the bed. He perched on the edge, while he ran his hands over G's chest and under the shirt, pushing it over G's shoulders. He kissed each scar before looking up. "You survived; these scars are proof of that."

G put his hands on Sam's shoulders, almost as if needing to balance himself after such tender gesture. "People wouldn't understand. You're different."

"We're different. I have my own scars, G. We know what the other went through. We might not know all the details and there are missions that are classified, but we still know." Sam licked his lips and then smiled. "Now that we've solved the problem with the scars, do you have any objections about getting rid of pants?"

G chuckled. "No, no objection."

"Oh good, because if we keep talking, we'll have to be back to work before we can have sex." They could probably banter until the morning, but now that he'd made a choice, he didn't want to waste time, and he stood up again to take off the rest of his clothes while G did the same. First time were filled by words like 'gorgeous' or 'handsome' or others to describe someone's body, but this wasn't about a body. Sam had always known how attractive G was, but that hadn't made him agree to this. It was the person G was inside that he wanted.

Sam waited on the bed for G to join him, and then rolled on top of him, before kissing him. He couldn't seem to get enough. It was such a simple contact, but at the same time intimate. He took his time, enjoying the moment. They began touching each other, discovering their bodies in more personal ways. Their entire relationship was built on words, but this moment was punctuated by silence, their bodies doing what their words usually did, but G was a lot more patient with words than he was with actions. "Plan to do something before I die of old age? Which I didn't think it was possible."

Sam bit his lip to refrain from laughing. "I thought we were doing something." He went on his elbows and looked down at G. "Let me guess. Sex is a timed event so you don't have to spend more than the absolute minimum time in someone's house before you can leave."

"Who says I go to people's houses?" G asked with a frown. "I pick random hotels. If anyone was gunning for me, I wouldn't give them the home advantage.'

Sam blinked. He knew G was paranoid, but he never understood how deep this paranoia ran and how it affected everything G did. "I'm not gunning for you and no one is coming into this house. You can relax, G, and we can take more than five minutes, and the guns are on the nightstand, within reach _if_ someone does manage to come in."

G's eyes darted to the door and then nodded. "I don't relax well."

"Then, you're doing it wrong," Sam answered, chuckling. "Let me see if we can fix that." There was so much he wanted to do. He wanted to taste G, wanted to fuck him, but that would only make G want to speed things up again. Instead, he reached in the drawer of his nightstand and brought out lotion.

"Is there something you'd like to share?" G asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I have sensitive skin," Sam answered without missing a beat, but again his focus was elsewhere. With the cream on his hand, he reached between their bodies and his fingers closed around their cocks.

"Better!" G said with a moan.

"You think it's better, but we're going to be doing something you seem to dislike." Sam put his arm around G and held him as he rolled to his side. With the arm now trapped under G, he kept them close, while he jerked them off, his fingers gliding slowing and kissing his partner with the same gentleness.

"Torture?" G ventured, before there was a slight tensing, but Sam kissed him again before G could apologize. When Sam pulled back, G relaxed again. "Because you seemed to be doing a good job of it."

Sam hinted a smile. "Maybe, but the rest of the world calls it kissing." He did just that, peppering G's skin with kisses. His shoulder, his jaw, his neck, his lips, Sam covered every inch he could reach with the same maddening patience he did everything else, but with each new kiss, G relaxed a little more, and then began to kiss back with more passion, getting lost in such a simple act and not pushing for more. Even then Sam didn't speed up, wanting this to last.

Moans of pleasure cut through the silence, while G tried to get as close as possible, legs intertwined to pull their bodies closer as their mouths searched for each other. The intensity built with each new stroke, and now patience was replaced by need.

"Sam…please," G gasped between kisses.

"Yes… yeah, okay." Sam's hand moved faster, putting more friction, covering their cocks from head to base and back again with a purpose now. G gripped Sam's arm as he reached his orgasm, Sam's name on his lips as he came. Sam wasn't far behind, needing this as much as G did, and then the movements stilled while they breathed heavily.

"That was," G started.

"Absolutely amazing, because I'm incredible?" Sam finished.

"I was going to say different, but whatever you need to tell yourself," G answered, before kissing Sam softly. "It was different, Sam. I told you; I've never been in love with the person I was in bed with, not unless it was a cover."

"You know that most people have sex before they start talking about love, right?" Sam asked.

G shrugged. "We don't do things like most people. Or maybe we're old fashioned. First we fall in love, and then we have sex."

Sam laughed. "Right, which would explain why you were never in love with any of your lovers. Let's go with the fact that we don't do normal. Wait here." He kissed G's nose, ignoring the protest from the man, and then went into the bathroom, cleaned himself up and returned with a wet towel for G. "Are you going to stay?"

G seemed to think for a moment. "For a little. You know I can't sleep through the night."

"That's fine, as long as you don't destroy another toaster while I'm asleep." Sam settled back in bed and pulled the sheets around them. He moved closer until he could spoon G and put an arm around him.

"I'm not a woman," G protested.

"I know, but you bitch as much, and I'm still bigger." Sam kissed the back of G's neck. "This love thing… does it mean you'll do my report for me tomorrow?"

G snorted. "And deprive you from such great learning experience. I would never do that." He covered Sam's hand with his, and squeezed. "I've never been in a relationship before, not really, but this means that I promise to try not to go lone wolf on you. We face life together."

Sam smiled brightly. Their jobs might be on the line, they had just complicated their lives, but if he got that promise from G, then it was worth it. "Not as good as doing my report, but I'll take it," he joked. He dipped his head to plant another kiss on G's shoulder. He had risked his job and his life for G, now he had even more reasons to do so. "You and me." Together they could deal with everything that came their way.


End file.
